Kingdom Hearts: Watashi no Hime: My Princess
by Namine's Dream
Summary: I-I think I'm in love with him." She said to herself. But how could this be? They were only friends after all. Had she always felt this way? She didn't know. How did he feel about her? She wouldn't, no, COULDN'T ask him that.
1. Valentine's Day

**Chapter One: Valentine's Day  
**

"Kai, I can't do this!" Namine exclaimed as she huddled outside the classroom door.

"Of course you can, Nami! I mean, this is what you've always dreamed of, right?" Kairi, Namine's best friend, answered.

"Well, yeah…" Namine mumbled.

It was Valentine's Day, and for years Namine had dreamed of having enough courage to make homemade chocolates and give them to Riku, the aloof, but popular, silver haired boy who was just a short distance from where she presently stood. At present, Riku was surrounded by girls offering him chocolates. He dispersed them, and took his usual seat on the window ledge in the far corner of the room. The girls had officially named the corner, "The Riku Space".

Only in the "Riku Space" could Riku be secluded from the frantic girls. There seemed to be a barrier blocking the "Riku Space" from the rest of the classroom. It was through this barrier that Namine now had to attempt to penetrate.

"Kai, I'm too scared!"

Namine buried her face into Kairi's awaiting shoulder. She was used to this sort of situation.

"Nami, it's ok. Take a deep breath."

Kairi felt the oxygen leave Namine's lungs.

"Ok. Now you're gonna go in there, and accomplish something no girl has ever dared. Entering the Riku Space!"

Pep talk finished, Kairi swiftly turned Namine around and pushed her into the classroom. All heads instantly turned to Namine. All but one. The one she wanted to see her the most, above all else. Tentatively, Namine approached the Riku Space. Then the whispering started.

"Is she crazy?"

"Does she know anything?"

Hearing these was almost enough to turn Namine around, but knew Kairi was waiting to just push her back inside. She had reached the place where the barrier of the Riku Space separated itself from the rest of the room. Riku was looking out the window absentmindedly. He seemed not to notice Namine, or just chose to ignore her.

Gathering what little courage she had left, Namine stepped into the barrier. Riku's head spun so fast and his eyes locked onto Namine, a frown spreading across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but a voice spoke from behind Namine.

"What do you think you're doing, entering Riku's Space?" Seifer, Riku's "bodyguard", questioned Namine.

Namine started to shake in fear. "I-I'm sorry!" she cried, dropping the chocolates she had worked for days on and bolted from the room. Not even Kairi was able to stop her, and Namine ran, ran until she reached her favorite tree on the school grounds. It was here that, whenever Namine was scared or upset, came to draw.

She realized her vital mistake once she had leaned back against the tree. She had left her sketch pad in her bag, which was currently inside the school building. There was no way she was going back there so soon. Since class didn't start for another fifteen minutes, Namine took the time to doodle on the ground next to her.

Even when it came to doodles, Namine's drawings were always the best. She had won contests and had earned many plaques and a good deal of money. Not that any of that mattered to Namine anyway, she just loved to draw. At this moment, she was sketching Kairi, the carefree, best friend she always admired for her courage. Her daydream broke when she heard footsteps, fast ones.

"Hey Nami!" a brown haired boy called to her.

It was Sora, late again.

Instead of heading into the school, he stopped to look at his friend. His dearest friend. "Something the matter?" he asked, truly concerned.

Namine sighed. "Well, you see, this morning…"

Namine was cut off by Kairi. "You two better hurry if you want to make it to class on time!"

Sora helped Namine up off the ground, and led her back inside; holding her hand in support for whatever had upset his close friend.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Seifer why did you do that you IDIOT?!" Riku yelled.

"You know damn right why I did it! No one, I mean NO ONE enters your space. I know that for a fact."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore," Riku grumbled.

It was during free period when Riku finally got a chance to question Seifer about his actions. He was about to yell at him some more when Riku's best friend, Axel, walked into the classroom flanked by one of his "women". As you can tell, Axel is pretty much a womanizer. But we all know he's a pimp at heart. (AN: I mean, even Axel's NAME makes him sound like a pimp/womanizer. Does it not?) Today was Yuffie's turn to be Axel's little puppy dog.

"Yo, RiRi! How's it hangin'?" Axel shouted across the room.

"Long, low and to the left Axel," Riku growled. (AN: My friend, who is a girl, made me put this. I don't understand, she answers this all the time. She doesn't even have anything long, low and to the left…)

"Hey don't be like that RiRi!" Axel clapped his hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Axel I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that in public," Riku tried to whisper.

Out of nowhere, Yuffie practically screamed, "RiRi, you're gay?"

The room instantly fell silent. Riku took charge immediately.

"Where did you hear such a ridiculous rumor like that Yuffie? It's obviously not true."

Riku shoved off Axel's hand and stormed out the door in mock rage that everyone believed to be real. Oh Riku, how we praise your acting abilities.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Sora sat on the steps watching Roxas skateboard. He sighed. Roxas, who had overheard, asked what was wrong.

"Well, firstly," Sora began, "we shouldn't be outside during free period, we're not allowed. And secondly, something was upsetting Nami this morning but I don't know what."

Roxas replied, "Oh you're no fun! What's the point of school if you don't break some rules? And about Nami, just ask Kairi. She can tell you, in detail too."

Sora sighed again. He had a feeling that Riku had something to do with Nami getting upset. He remembered when Kairi was always upset. Whose fault was it? Yes, Riku's. Kairi got over it, pretty fast too. If only Nami could be like Kai…

"Sora! Sora!"

"Huh? What?"

"We're going to be late!" Roxas called from the doorway.

Sora hurried inside after Roxas. Sora was thinking about Nami a lot lately… but that didn't mean anything. They were only friends… right?


	2. Embarrassment

**Chapter Two: Embarrassment**

Namine hurried to her next class, art. It was definitely her favorite class. She sat down, and took out her sketch pad. She decided to finish her sketch of Kairi that she had started earlier that morning. On the next table, Namine heard giggling. It was probably another group of girls laughing at her for trying to give Riku chocolate when he was in his space. But as she listened closer, Namine realized they weren't talking about Riku at all. She turned her head slightly and saw that it was Yuna and Olette. Kairi really hated them, especially Yuna. Namine would have to tell Kairi everything they said, it was like this every day.

Listening, Namine heard Sora's name, and her heart beat faster.

"Who're you giving chocolate to Olette?" Yuna asked.

"Oh c'mon Yunie! Sora of course, he's so kind! How about you?"

"Roxas. He's soooooo handsome!"

Then the giggling started again. Namine's face felt hot and her chest hurt. Olette was giving Sora chocolate? It shouldn't matter, she thought, Sora's just a good friend. Yeah, just a friend.

Her chest loosened and she focused on finishing her sketch of Kairi.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Axel was sitting in the library; it was study hall. He remembered earlier when Riku had shoved him away. It had hurt him, but it wasn't like Axel was gay or anything. Riku was his best friend. Axel was so deep in thought he didn't hear Yuffie yelling his name until she slapped him across the face!

"Axel!" She screamed in his ear.

"What?" he said, still lost in his daze.

"Why aren't you paying attention to me?" Yuffie pouted.

"I'm sorry darling, I was just thinking about how beautiful you are," he purred in her ear.

"Oh Axel," she whispered softly.

Axel ran his fingers through Yuffie's hair.

Oh Axel, you and your mock love and affection. When will you learn?

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Larxene was sitting in her Trigonometry class doing the usual. Staring at Leon, Sora's older brother. She wouldn't believe the rumors, she refused to. She had heard that Leon was interested in an underclassman. She would ask him about it after class.

The bell rang and she called to him, "Leon!"

But he didn't hear her.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

The rumors were true. Leon was interested in an underclassman. One of his little brother's friends, Kairi. He was walking to his last hour Chemistry class when he saw his little brother in the hall.

"Squirt!" he called to Sora.

"What is it brother?" Sora asked.

"I have to ask you something," he pulled Sora out of the throng of people.

"What is it Leon?" Sora was getting impatient.

"You know that friend of yours, Kairi?"

"Yeah…"

"I want you to ask her something for me."

"What do you want me to ask her?"

"Ask her if she's interested in going to the Sadies dance with me."

"Leon, girls ask guys to Sadies! Not the other way around!"

"You don't think I know that? Just be discreet about it!"

"Wait, Leon I - "

But Leon was already gone.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Kairi was in study hall when Sora rushed into the room yelling her name.

"Gosh Sora what's the matter?"

"Leon, wants to, I, hang on…"

Sora leaned over to catch his breath. After taking a few deep breaths, he sat down in his seat next to Kairi.

"What about your brother now?" She sounded way too interested to Sora.

"He was wondering if you were interested in going to the Sadies dance with him, and I told him girls ask guys but he wouldn't listen, so - "

Sora's ears felt like they were going to explode.

"EEEEEEEK! YES YES YES! I'M TOTALLY INTERESTED! YAAAY!"

"I'll, uh, tell him when I get home then," Sora said.

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

Kairi hugged him. Sora hugged her back, wondering if Nami was going to ask him to Sadies.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Roxas was stuck in Composition class. He wished he could have study hall for the last hour of the day like Kai and Sora. But there was an upside to all this. There were some cute girls in this class, Yuna and Olette. Since Roxas was the skater type, he had girls fawning over him a lot. He had alternated between going to Sadies with Kai and with Nami, as friends of course. When he went with Nami, Sora went with Kai, and vice versa. This year, he knew, would be different for him.

He had finished his assignment and started spinning his pencil while looking at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring. He heard hushed whispers to his right, and decided only to listen because he heard his name spoken.

"I can't ask Roxas! I'm too scared!"

"Yes you can Yunie! I'll go with you! Let's go right now!"

My theory is correct, Roxas thought, and acted as though he had heard nothing. He was still looking at the clock when Yuna and Olette had reached his desk.

"U-um, Roxas…?"

Roxas turned his head, and flipped his hair out of his eyes. Always gotta have the hair flip, he thought.

"Yeah?"

"I, um… I was wondering if maybe… I don't see why you would…"

Olette finished for her, "She wants to go to Sadies with you. Will you go with her?"

The bell rang. Roxas flashed a smile that made girls stop breathing. _(A/N: Oh, Roxas, you little player you!)_

"I'll have to get back to you on that," he said, hurrying to find his three best friends to tell them the news.

* * *

**Sorry for such a late update! School has been hectic and I have a hard time coming up with ideas... You can only do so much with game characters lol. At least this way I get to know the characters better.. but look at me ramble xD I hope you liked chapter two! Please review! =)**


	3. Revelations

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I've had a lot going on lately, and I have a hard time coming up with ideas in the middle of class when I get bored xD But I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review! =)

* * *

**

**Chapter Three: Revelations**

Kairi and Sora walked to their lockers, laughing and waiting for Namine and Roxas. Kairi grabbed her bag from her locker and saw Roxas chatting excitedly to Nami. Nami just smiled weakly. _She must still be upset about this morning,_ Kairi thought.

"Sora!" Namine ran up to him. _Now she was excited;_ Kairi smiled to herself. Namine was telling Sora about her art class; Sora was listening intently. _He really cares about her,_ Kairi mused.

"Hey," Roxas tapped Kairi's shoulder.

"Hey," she smiled. "So, gonna tell me what you were telling Nami about before you caught up with us?"

"Oh yeah, you're not gonna believe this," he said, flipping his hair.

_That was really cute.. I love it when he does that- wait! What am I thinking? I can't like Roxas that way..._

Kairi's face was displaying shock, which Roxas noticed.

"Hey, what's wrong? I haven't even said anything yet." He cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Oh, oh it's nothing, keep going."

Roxas dismissed Kairi's awkwardness, and started to explain what happened in his Composition class. When Roxas was finished, Kairi was frowning. Yuna. Asked. Roxas. To. Sadies.

_I hate her,_ she thought. _Roxas was MY friend, not hers._

"Kai, you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh... yeah, sorry. I'm fine!" Kairi flashed a fake, happy smile in Roxas's direction.

"Oookay then. Let's go catch up to Sora and Nami, they're getting away!" Roxas grabbed Kairi's hand and ran with her to where Sora and Namine were walking down the sidewalk.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Riku climbed into the passenger seat of Axel's Cadillac. (_A/N: Yes... a Cadillac.. lol. My friend Maggie (Emmett's-Luver) helped me decide what kind of car Axel should have because he's kind of a pimp here... lol) _Expecting Axel to start driving immediately, he was surprised when Axel just sat in the driver's seat.

"What are you waiting for Axel?" Riku grumbled. He was _not_ having a good day. Riku's answer came in the form of three people, Seifer, Yuffie, and Paine. Riku groaned.

"Really Axel? _Really?"_

"You know it RiRi!" Axel winked.

Riku mumbled something undistinguishable by anyone but himself, and looked out the window. What he saw made him remember how terrible a day it had been. Walking down the street were Namine, Sora, Kairi, and Roxas.

_Namine, I'm sorry, _Riku thought. _I wasn't expecting you to approach me after I went to look out the window this morning. Everyone knows that's where I go to think... What really made me notice you **was **the fact that you were brave enough to come over to me. I'll forgive you, somehow. Maybe on St. White's Day. Maybe..._

He let his thoughts drift away as he watched the trees pass by outside his window. He vaguely heard the others talking about something Axel was planning for the weekend.

_Sometimes I wish Axel would just shut up,_ he thought. (_A/N: I'm sorry Axel! I still love you! =_) _lol._)

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Namine sighed as she walked through her front door. How could she have been so stupid as to disrupt Riku when he was in his space? She didn't even know what happened to the chocolates she had tried to give him.

_Did he take them anyway? Probably not..._

Namine sighed again as she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Just then, a head popped out of the kitchen.

"Namine dear!"

Namine turned to see the face of her mother, Aerith.

"Yeah mom?"

"You're going to have to make dinner tonight, I'm going out with Tifa later."

"Okay mom."

She continued up the stairs. Tifa was Kairi's mom, who was Namine's mother's best friend. They were even best friends back in high school._ It's no wonder why me and Kai are friends, _Nami thought. _I wonder if dad is going to be somewhere tonight._

Cloud was Namine's father, who happened to be friends with Tidus, who was Kairi's father. (_A/N: Yes.. xD I'm sorry lol. The irony is very much. But I thought that Cloud HAD to be Namine's father.. he's blonde.. lol. And he's just cooler than Tidus in my opinion =P_)

_Now I know why Kairi acts that way... her parents are the same as her!_

Namine flopped down onto her bed. Not even ten seconds later, her phone started playing Melt, (_A/N: Yes, Melt as in the Vocaloid song originally by Miku Hatsune. It's currently my favorite song... lol_) Kairi's personal ringtone. Namine answered with, "Hey Kai."

"Hey Nami! I can't believe I didn't tell you this on the way home! I'm _so_ mad!"

"Tell me about it Kai!" Namine was faking interest. She loved Kairi immensely, of course that was a given, but she was still sad about the events of that morning.

"Okay, so on the way home today..."

Kairi recounted what Roxas had told her about Yuna.

"I hate her so much Nami!"

"I know, Kai. Did he tell you if her answered her?"

"No, and that's what frustrates me the most!"

"But Kai, don't you like Leon?"

Kairi gasped and her tone was instantly happy.

"Ooo! Speaking of Leon, he wants to go with me to Sadies, Nami! Sadies!"

Namine heard the front door shut loudly._ It must be Larxene, _Namine thought.

"I have to go now Kai, Larxene's home. I'll talk to you later."

"Mmkay! I love you Nami!"

"Love you too, Kai."

Namine placed her phone on her bedside table, and poked her head out of her bedroom door.

"Larxene? Are you alright?"

Larxene answered with a curt, "No, Namine I am NOT okay."

"Do you want to talk abou-"

"Do you THINK I want to talk about it?!"

"Umm.. no.. I'll just.. yeah..."

Namine closed her door softly, and once again flopped down on her bed.

_What an exhausting day... I think I'll sleep for a little while..._

In minutes Namine was sleeping soundly.

_

* * *

_**There we go! Lol. I like how I added the thoughts in, kind of adds a little more to the story in my opinion. Sorry about the parent pairings if you have any problems with that! I just thought it would make more sense to have Aerith as Namine's mother because Aerith is calm like Namine... lol. And Cloud... well, it shows in Larxene, does it not? Lol. Haven't figured out who Roxas' or Sora's parents are yet.. I'm running out of characters for that xD Please review! =D**


	4. The Beginning of the Future

**Gah. I don't think is up to par with my normal writing abilities =/ I've been having some issues... boy issues.. some other ones. Too much going on to write well apparently =| But I'll try to step it up on Chapter 5!**

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Beginning of the Future**

Roxas was bored. Not that he didn't know what he wanted to do. He was always in the mood to skateboard, but now seemed inappropriate. He just couldn't sit still. He tried laying down on his bed; he got up instantaneously. He looked around his room. His backpack was thrown haphazardly on his chair, his skateboard propped up against the wall closest to the door. He stared at his skateboard, debating whether or not to go outside. He rejected the idea when he heard his phone ringing. Checking his caller ID, he figured it was Sora.

"Hello?"

"Hey Roxas, can you tell me what was wrong with Nami today? Kairi isn't answering her phone."

"Sure buddy," Roxas answered.

Roxas recited the exact same speech Kairi had given him earlier that day. After he finished, he could feel the tension and anger radiating from Sora through his cell phone.

"I can't believe Riku! He used to be decent, nothing like that would have happened a few years ago. I have to go see Namine."

Roxas could hear Sora getting up from his bed, and him falling on the floor.

"Are you going to tell her?" Roxas asked.

"Tell her? Tell her what?"

Roxas could picture Sora's head tilted slightly as he asked his question. He sighed.

"How you feel about her."

Sora was quiet for a long time.

".. I don't know what you mean."

But Sora was lying. He knew exactly what Roxas meant. Namine was his most special person, someone he cared for deeply. But he couldn't tell her how he truly felt, he was scared. Not just for himself, but for Namine as well. She was so innocent, so naive at times, but her naivety was what made her cute in Sora's eyes. He remembered the first time he had stood up for her.

**~Flashback~**

_An 8 year old Sora walked into his second grade classroom and saw three of his classmates surrounding the desk of a little blonde girl who had transferred in at the beginning of the week. The leader of the group was Seifer, followed by his two lackeys, Hayner and Rai. Sora watched as Hayner slammed his hand onto the little girl's desk._

_"How dare you say no to Seifer!" He yelled in her face._

_"No one ever says no to Seifer, ya' know?" Rai said, routinely following suit in harassing the girl._

_"I-I'm sorry!" the girl started to cry, "I didn't know, I had no idea!"_

_The girl put her head in her hands and let the tears flow freely. Seifer pushed Hayner and Rai out of the way and leaned down to make his eyes level with hers._

_"This is the last time I'm going to tell you," he said threateningly. "Draw a picture of me."_

_The girl continued to cry and shook her head no._

_"Why you little-" Hayner started to say._

_By this time Sora had had enough. He raced to the girl's desk, and stood in front of her with his arms spread out, blocking her from Seifer and his followers._

_"Leave her alone! Can't you see that she's crying? How does that make you feel?" Sora shouted into their faces._

_The three boys mumbled something incoherently to themselves and started to walk away. As they reached the door, Hayner turned to Sora and said, "You better watch your back." The trio then disappeared through the doorway, and Sora sighed, turning to the little girl behind him._

_"Are you alright?" he asked calmly._

_Slowly, the girl nodded._

_"What's your name?" Sora had been absent the day the girl had enrolled in his class._

_"N-Namine," she whispered, to quiet for Sora to hear._

_"What was that?" he asked, leaning forward so his head and ear were at level with her mouth._

_"Namine," she said again, a little more strongly._

_"Well then Namine, from now on you can count on me to protect you from people like them!" Sora jumped up, his left fist clenched at shoulder level. A friendly smile spread across his face._

_Namine flashed a small smile back at Sora. "Thank you, Sora. Would you like me to draw something for you?"_

_"Sure!" Excitedly, Sora drew up a desk next to Namine's and watched her draw what was to be one of his most treasured possessions. When she had finished, she handed the paper to Sora, who gasped._

_"What? Do you not like it?" Namine asked, slightly worried._

_"No! I love it! I'm going to keep this forever and ever!" _

_Namine smiled, and laughed. "Thank you, Sora. I appreciate it."_

_Namine had drawn Sora and herself holding hands, walking through a park in midafternoon. To this day, Sora still had the picture tucked away in his secret drawer of his dresser._

**~End Flashback~**

"Are you sure you aren't going to tell her?" Roxas pressed.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure."

"Ha! I knew I could get you to admit it!"

Sora pictured the smug look Roxas always got when he was right about something.

"Augh, shut up Roxas. I wasn't thinking about my answer to that question and that's what came out."

"Stop lying, you know I'm right!"

Sora sighed deeply. "Fine, you win. You're right. I have some homework I need to get done, I'll see you later."

"Alright, bye buddy!"

Sora placed his phone on his bedside table and flopped down onto his bed. His eyes wandered around the room until they landed on the dresser which contained his most prized possessions. He got up, opened the top drawer, and opened his secret drawer. Reaching in, his hand emerged with his favorite of all his possessions, the picture of him and Namine walking through a park. Sitting back on his bed, he stared at the picture thinking, "_I can't let her get hurt ever again..._"

Eyes drooping, Sora slowly drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**Well, I guess it got better near the end. Flashbacks for the win! I'll try and get chapter five up soon, but I can't promise anything. Please review!**


	5. Deep Thought

**Here it is! I'm on a writing splurge 8D I like that word... splurge.. haha xD I also almost have the second chapter done for The Ultimate Host Club! Stay posted!**

* * *

Chapter Five: Deep Thoughts

Kairi was still fuming. She hated Yuna so greatly, sometimes she just wanted to punch her in the face. Kairi grabbed a pillow. To the poor pillow's dismay, Kairi imagined Yuna's face plastered on the pillowcase, and punched it where her jaw would have been. She punched the same spot a couple more times, just for good measure, then she heard a knock on her door.

"Yeah?" Kairi asked.

"I'm going out with Aerith tonight, make sure your father doesn't burn the house down trying to make dinner. Order a pizza if you must," Tifa, Kairi's mom, said.

"Kay mom, have fun!"

Kairi heard her mom walk down the stairs. Her dad, Tidus, was the worst cook imaginable, yet he thought he was the greatest. Kairi checker her phone. It was almost six, so Kairi decided it was time to order that pizza before her dad burnt the house down.

Running down the stairs, she called to her dad, "Mom said I could order pizza tonight!"

His voice came from the living room, "Okay, that's fine!"

After ordering, Kairi went back to her room. She didn't know what to do, so she sat and listened to music until her pizza arrived.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Axel had finally dropped off Riku at his house. Axel had stopped at the store to get stuff for his supposed party this weekend, and when he said he'd only be a little while, that really means an hour and a half. Riku wasn't worried about his parents yelling at him for not letting them know where he was. He hasn't seen his mom in years, and his dad wasn't home much.

Taking his house key out of his pocket, he unlocked the door to what most people would call an expensive house, but not large enough to call a mansion. And, as per usual, the house was empty. Riku kicked off his shoes, dropped his bad on the small landing, and headed to the kitchen to make his dinner.

Very few people knew about Riku's home life. He didn't want anyone's pity; he didn't want to hear people tell him "I'm sorry" when they really weren't. He was stronger than that. But there were some nights, after Riku's father would verbally abuse him, where he would just let the tears flow freely. It was all his mother's fault. Had she stayed, he would have someone to love him, someone to talk to, someone who would take care of him. Now he had none of that. And that was why Riku had locked up his feelings, he wouldn't let anyone get close to him. And yet... there was something about Namine that wanted to let someone in; wanted to tell his problems and feelings to.

He sensed that she was like him, in a way. That, even though she had friends she enjoyed being with, there was still a small part of her that was hollow. And he also realized he wanted to help her fill that hollow, that void where there was nothing.

Because he was the same.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Axel couldn't seem to shake this feeling. Riku, his RiRi, seemed to be distancing himself from Axel. Not just him, but from everyone. Axel knew about Riku's life and how hard it was on him, but he didn't think Riku realized that he was there for him. Riku just seemed to radiate lonliness, something that Axel was trying to fix.

"Augh! I don't understand you RiRi," Axel exclaimed to no one in particular.

Axel absentmindedly flipped through the channels on TV, but he wasn't planning on watching anything special. Axel jumped out of his reverie when his cell phone started playing Spice, his ringtone for text messages. (_A/N: Spice by Len Kagamine, yes haha ^^ It totally fits Axel!_)

He had three, one from each Seifer, Yuffie, and Paine. Not wanting to see what they had to say right then, (especially Yuffie and Paine) Axel decided to text Riku.

'_Hey RiRi, you alright? Sorry about earlier and all. Let me know how you're doing_.'

_Wow, I sound like an overprotective parent, _he thought.

Not in the mood for TV, Axel turned it off and sat on the couch. Was he only worried about Riku? Did he really think he was an older brother, or maybe, if you stretched it, a father figure? Or was there some deeper, underlying cause for Axel's deep worry for Riku?

Axel dropped his head to his hands. All this deep thinking was making his head hurt, so he went to take some Advil.

_Note to self,_ he thought, _save the personal, deep thinking for school so I actually have a legit reason to get out of class._

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Namine woke up well rested. But when she checked the clock to see what time it was, she realized she missed dinner. Normally, this would be okay if her mom had been home, but her dad was a different story. Namine tip-toed to Larxene's room and knocked softly.

Instead of letting her inside, Larxene answered from inside the closed room, "What Namine?"

Namine tried to stay quiet, just in case her dad heard her. "Is dad home?"

"No, he said he was going to watch the game at Sora and Leon's house."

"Okay, thanks!"

"Why?"

"Because I missed dinner. You know how dad gets."

"Mhm, yup. There's leftovers in the fridge, by the way."

"Okay, thanks Larxene!"

When Namine reached the fridge, she was delighted to see that the leftovers spoken of was none other than lasagna. Namine loved all kinds of pasta.

She cut a slice from the tray, stuck it in the microwave, and waited. When it was finished, the aroma that enveloped her was heavenly.

_What a perfect way to end the day, _Namine thought.

* * *

**Whew! I feel bad for Riku now =( See.. I don't know who his mom should be so I didn't mention a name xD So I need help with that! The people that are already moms are: Aerith, Tifa, Selphie, and Lulu (Namine, Kairi, Sora and Roxas's moms)**. **So if there's another available Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts girl character would you let me know? Thanks! Please point out any typos and review! 8D**


	6. Complications

**Oh wow! Been a while since I updated anything huh? I've had a little writer's block to be perfectly honest.. and I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it'll have to do =D The pendant that is mentioned is the pendant Sora finds when he's in Castle Oblivion =D**

* * *

Chapter Six: Complications

When Sora awoke, it was after eight. Deciding that he could eat later, he took out his homework, mostly just math. After sitting there for a good fifteen minutes just staring at his paper, he sighed and called Namine for help. Nami always helped Sora with his homework, seeing as how she was pretty much a genius in Sora's eyes.

Sora frowned. She didn't pick up on the second ring like she usually did. _Don't panic, _he thought. _She could be busy with.. with.. with what?_ Slightly panicked, Sora hit the redial button, hoping this time she would answer. After an agonizing four rings, she answered.

"Sora! Sorry I missed your first call, I woke up not too long ago and I just finished eating."

_She sounds a little flustered, _Sora thought.

"Oh no that's okay, I just, umm.." he was always a little embarrassed when he asked for help.

"Homework again?" Namine laughed softly. "No problem Sora, I'm happy to help you."

Sora began listing all of the problems he was having trouble with, and in no time at all, he had finished.

"Thank you Nami," Sora said.

"You're welcome Sora!" Sora could tell Namine was smiling. Silence followed Namine's statement. A minute passed, then Sora and Namine spoke at the same time.

"Nami, I was wondering-"

"Sora, I've been meaning to ask you-"

Just then, Leon burst into Sora's room.

"What have you been doing this whole time? The game's on!" Leon said.

"Nami, I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Sora, have a good time."

But he was already gone.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Namine sighed and set her phone down. _Always in a hurry,_ she thought. _Maybe it was for the best that I didn't ask if he ever got those chocolates from_

_Olette. I would be invading his privacy._

Namine headed back upstairs to her room, intent on asking Kairi for some advice. She just felt really confused, and Kairi always knew how to help. Logging onto her Skype account as Nami Nami Romantic Night (_A/N: Yes, a variation of Vocaloid Miki's original song Miki Miki_ _Romantic Night._) she noticed that Kai wasn't on.

"Oh well," she said to herself. Out of routine, Namine grabbed her sketch pad and began drawing. The minutes flew by as Namine added detail to the background and the surrounding scene. Without stopping as to check the time, Namine decided that oil paints would be best to finish her picture. Fetching them from the bag where she kept all of her art supplies, Namine started with a blue for the ocean, mixed other colors until she got the color she wanted for sand, and a yellow for the sun. Next came green for the treetops and surrounding vegetation, and a lighter blue for the ocean and sky. Last came the colors she needed for the two people drawn in the center of the page. Yellow and brown for the hair, a nice peach for the skin, the dress left white, an assortment of black, red, yellow, and white for the other figure. Lastly, blue for the eyes.

Finished, Namine shook her head to come out of the trance like state she assumed while drawing. Looking at her handiwork, her eyes finally fell on the two figures in the center of the artwork. It was Sora and herself, on a beach somewhere. Holding hands.

Nami shook her head again, pinched her arm, and rubbed her eyes, trying to see if what she had drawn was all a dream. It was real.

_This can't mean anything, _she thought. _Me and Sora have held hands before, it doesn't mean anything!_

Hurriedly, Namine closed her sketch pad and packed away her art supplies. _He can't see that, he can't see it,_ she chanted in her head. With everything put away neatly, Namine headed to the bathroom for her routine shower.

With the hot water falling all around her, Namine used the alone time to mull over the day's events.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Sora shut his bedroom door and sighed. Leon had interrupted his conversation with Nami. He didn't get to ask her who she was thinking about taking to Sadies. But then again, maybe it was for the best. He didn't want to know how he'd feel if she was going to ask Riku. Sora blankly looked around his room, trying to keep his thoughts from that subject. His eyes finally landed on the star-shaped pendant Namine had given him when they were kids. Without even thinking, Sora picked it up and turned it over in his hands, remembering the words Nami had said as she handed it to him all those years ago.

_"Here Sora, take it! It's a symbol of our friendship, please don't ever lose it, okay?"_

Sora clearly saw the smile Namine had worn that day when he accepted her gift.

As he fell asleep that night, pendant clenched tightly in his hand, Sora was unaware that he chanted "I won't ever lose it Nami," over and over again until sleep finally took him entirely.

* * *

**Ending was kinda.. eh. There was a way I wanted to word it, but I couldn't think of how to do it.. so its like that. D: Once again, please point out any typos and PLEASE review! ^^**


	7. Darkness in the Light

**Wuaah! Hello everyone, its been a while hasn't it? I apologize for taking so long to update! Lot's has been happening these past couple months, and I just hadn't had the time, nor the inspiration, to write. But it's back! So expect and update of something at least once a week :D**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Darkness in the Light**

Riku arrived at school, feeling totally exhausted. He hadn't slept well, his divided feelings followed him in his dreams. He shuffled into his homeroom, head hung slightly as he headed towards his space. Girls gasped and started whispering; gossiping. They had never seen him like this, he usually was able to keep himself together. He could care less what all those girls thought of him, only one really kinda sorta mattered. Namine. He groaned, his head felt like it was splitting apart, right in half. _Why does she do this to me when I think of her?_ He thought.

Riku's fist connected with the ledge where his space was located. Some of the girls looked over at him, but he didn't bother to even glare at them. All he wanted was to be alone in a quiet space so his head could feel better. He heard the girls talking, a bit louder this time. He heard a few snippits: "What's wrong with Riku?" "I've never seen him like this..." and "He looks.. well.. kind of horrible..."

He pushed those away; they didn't matter to him. He put his head lower, trying to block out everyone and everything. It was then that he felt it. A static shock, all the way through his body. He looked up, and there she was, standing just as the edge of the barrier to his space. Namine.

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Roxas couldn't wait till Composition class. He didn't really plan on going to Sadies with Yuna, him and Sora had had a traditional plan of alternating between going with Namine and Kairi. It kept the four close, no doubt about that. _But.. a change of pace could be a good thing sometimes... I'll check with the S-man._

He thought about the pattern of Sadies. It was his year to go with Kairi. _Kai.. _He shook his head of beautiful (as he was frequently told) locks, clearing his head._ We're just friends. There's no way she feels that way about me. Although..._

He continued to daydream (he was too much of a "gentleman" to call it fantasizing) about Kairi. He even brought in the "What-If", a classic. He thought about her eyes, her hair, her- _Wow, I thought I had gotten rid of that song yesterday. Oh well._ He thought about their childhood..

**~Flashback~**

"Roxas, wait for me!"

Roxas had finally convinced Kairi to come on a forest adventure with him. He had raced ahead of her, trying to get to his favorite spot faster.

"Just hurry up! We're almost there!"

Roxas raced up the path and out of the foliage of the trees. His eyes were showered with colors and textures; the sun reflecting off the rocks, the leaves, the water. He was dazzled every time he saw the magnificent waterfall that he had claimed for himself. He heard Kairi's deep, labored breaths; she had finally reached the top. Roxas kept staring at the waterfall, waiting for Kairi to say something. When she didn't, Roxas turned around. Kairi's face was in awe; tears were in her eyes.

"Kai, what's wrong?"

She sniffled, and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "It's so beautiful, Ro. Thank you for showing me your secret place."

She hugged Roxas tightly. He whispered to her, "It's our secret place now Kai. Both of us."

**~End Flashback~**

_No. I don't want to remember him. He almost ruined everything. Everything..._

_• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •_

Namine had seen him from the doorway. Riku looked.. horrid, to be blunt. It was like he hadn't ate or slept for days. The sight of him made her cringe. Not in horror, but in pity. She never wanted to see Riku like that. She took a tentative step forward into the room, feeling ethereal, like it was all just some dream that she would soon wake up from. But with each step, the nightmare seemed more and more real. Until when she had reached the barrier. That was when she knew it was real. She felt the stares; she heard the whispers. "Does she really think she can get away with going into the Riku Space again?" or "Is she crazy? Has she even

She stepped through his barrier again. But this time, she had more confidence. He looked up and met her eyes, attempting a glare. It was a reflex, he told himself. But he could tell that she knew; his eyes were pleading for help. He wanted to talk to someone about it. Not Axel, he wasn't one to talk about these things with. No, he needed a kind, understanding soul to release his story to. That soul was definitely Namine. She took two steps toward him, and placed her hand on his lightly. She whispered, "I'm sorry..."

Riku shook his head. He told her one thing before leaving his space. "The tree, in front of the school. Meet me there later."

_• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •_

Axel's headache was gone when he woke up that morning. It came right back when Yuffie clung to his arm like a vine.

"Axel! I missed you!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, shrugging her off.

The look of hurt on her face was so obvious, a pang of guilt hit Axel in the stomach. But he didn't let it bother him for very long, he was really concerned for Riku. He had a sense that this was one of his worst days in a while, and Axel wanted to be there to help.

He decided to apologize. "I'm sorry Yuffie, I'm worried about Riku. Just... leave me alone for a while." He walked away, this time feeling nothing. He locked his emotions away in an iron cage, preparing himself for Riku's despair.

_• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •_

Sora had witnessed the whole, albeit brief, exchange between Riku and Namine. He wanted to believe that it was only Nami's kind heart that made her want to help Riku, but he knew deep down that this was not the case. She clearly had feelings for Riku. But, they were just friends, so why was he taking it so hard?_ We're... just friends. Nami had the right to l-like whoever she wants..._

He needed another opinion, preferably a girl's opinion, on the matter. Kairi was the perfect candidate, but he wouldn't see her till later. He wanted to tell Roxas, but Roxas never really analyzed situations as in-depth as Sora, so he wasn't much help. _And right when I was going to ask Nami to Sadies too..._

Sora walked past people, some calling his name, which he ignored. All he wanted to do was sit and think while he waited for a chance to talk to Kai. Because Sora was lost, and he needed someone to help him find the light.

* * *

**And there we are! The ending is... eh. Trying to write in class is hard ;w; And yay for typing this up in class! 8D I'll be finishing up a chapter of The Ultimate Host Club soon, so stay tuned for that! And please point out any typos, AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :D**


	8. Cracking

**My goodness! It's been ages since I've updated anything :'D I sincerely apologize for that. My creative juices just haven't been up to snuff lately, but I hope this chapter can make up for it!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Cracking**

Just like Riku had asked, more like demanded, Namine showed up at the tree in front of the school once school had let out. She was all kinds of nervous, but also excited. Although, something was nagging at her in the back of her mind. Then, it hit her. _This is the tree Sora found me at a few days ago... the first time I entered the Riku Space..._

And just like before on that day, Namine sat and doodled on the ground. She drew a papaya, followed by other fruit, all strategically placed in a fruit bowl. She stopped to admire her work when a boot stepped on it, clearing it away. Namine looked up, ready to reprimand whoever it was who wrecked her drawing, but bit it back when she saw that it was Riku.

Namine stuttered as she addressed Riku, "W-well? What did you want to talk to me about?"

Riku just stood there, staring at Namine, making her even more nervous. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks when Riku's hand shot out in front of her. She took it, and he helped her to her feet.

"I'd rather we talk somewhere more... private," he said.

Namine nodded and asked, "Do you have someplace in mind?"

"I was thinking we could go to my place?"

_Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod Riku asked me to go to his house ohmygod what do I do..._

"Um... ah, y-yes, that sounds wonderful," Namine said, speaking to Riku's boots.

"Great, well, let's get going then," Riku replied, pulling Namine along, for he still had her hand in a tight-iron grip.

_Well, I guess he is being a little forward but... there's nothing wrong with that! Heehee..._

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Kairi, Roxas, and Sora walked out of the school building just as Namine walked off with Riku.

_W-where is she going? Wait.. t-that doesn't matter. She can go where she wants..._

"Sora? Sora, are you alright?"

Kairi waved a hand in front of Sora's face.

"Of course! Never better, why do you ask Kai?"

"Hmm.. if you say so then.."

The three friends rounded the gate, walking a block behind Namine and Riku. Out of the corner of her eye, Kairi noticed Sora tense up.

_That's it, he is coming to my house and we are having a total heart-to-heart,_ she thought.

Roxas was blabbing on and on about something involving skateboards, as usual. Sora smiled, laughed, and nodded at all appropriate moments, but his heart really wasn't in it. Today just hadn't been his day...

"Kay well, I'll see you guys tomorrow, bye Kai, Sora!" Roxas said, turning onto the street where his house resided.

"Yeah, bye," Sora replied halfheartedly.

Once Kairi knew Roxas was out of earshot, she rounded on Sora.

"Look," she said, grasping his shoulders, "You are coming to my house, and we are going to talk about whatever is bothering you. You can call your parents when we get there."

"Talk about what? You don't know if there's really anything bothering me Kai."

"Oh, don't give me that Sora. I've known you my whole life, I KNOW you. And I can tell there is something bothering you, and we are going to talk about it."

Kairi stood in front of Sora, arms crossed across her chest.

_She can be really stubborn sometimes..._

Sora sighed. "Fine, but-"

Before he could finish, Kairi grabbed his hand and started running to her house.

"W-wait! Slow down! I can't keep up with you Kai! I'm going to fa-"

As he tried to say it, Sora fell flat on his face. He picked himself up quickly, hand over his face.

"You... okay there Sora?"

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine," he answered from behind the hand.

"Then let me see your face."

Slowly, Sora lowered his hand back to his side and looked anywhere but at Kairi. An embarrassed blush started to creep up his face, but no one would've known for his face was red from the initial fall to begin with. He heard Kairi snort, then a soft _thump_ as she collapsed on the pavement in laughter.

"H-hey! It's not funny Kai! Stop laughing!"

She continued to laugh, arms clutched around her ribcage.

"I said stop! Stop! Fine, then I'll just have to tell Roxas how you really feel about him, won't I?"

Kairi stopped laughing immediately.

"If you tell him... I swear to you I'll... I'll..."

At a loss for words, Kairi decided that shaking her fist in front of Sora's face would suffice.

Sora chuckled softly. "Okay okay, I get your point. Let's go."

• * ~ * ~ * ~ * •

Riku finally let go of her hand once they were standing in front of a very fancy house. Riku unlocked the door, and stepped aside.

"Ladies first," he said.

Namine nodded, stepping into the foyer. The house was dark, like no one was home during the day. Riku came in behind her, and shut the door. Since Namine hadn't moved, Riku was standing very close to Namine's back. She could feel the heat radiating from his body; she could hear his heartbeat. She wasn't expecting it when he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"R-Riku, what are you-"

"Shhh," he said, "Please. Don't turn around. I don't... I don't want you to see my like this."

Namine stood there, as he asked. Her hand moved on its own, to rest over one of Riku's. Then she heard a sound. Muffled, it seemed. She couldn't place it until she felt Riku's head rest against her shoulder. Riku was crying.

* * *

**Phew! Tried to spice things up a little and give you all a little interaction ;D I didn't want to blow it too out of proportion, since Namine is an innocent girl after all. But maybe something will happen next chapter, only time will tell.. ;3 Please review, it definitely gives me more motivation to keep updating!**


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